Scattering from topological insulator circular cylinder buried in a semi-infinite medium

The problem of electromagnetic scattering of a plane wave from a topological insulator (TI) cylinder buried beneath a flat interface is undertaken with the method of analysis based on spectral plane wave representation of fields. Saddle point method is employed to evaluate the involved spectral integrals serving as basis functions in the representations of scattered-reflected and scattered-transmitted fields. The distinctions between the scattering pattern for time reversal symmetry TI cylinder and that of time reversal symmetry broken TI cylinder are pronounced. Results are validated through the comparison with the previously available results.     

Structure and properties of polyethylene ionomer based nanocomposites

Li and Zn ionomers of poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid) were modified by two organically modified montmorillonites by melt mixing. In the nanocomposites (NCs), the increase in the loss tangent main peak temperature indicated a reduction in the mobility of the long‐chain segments containing neutralized acid groups. The stack compaction observed by wide‐angle X‐ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy in the Cloisite 30B based NCs was attributed to the partial degradation of the surfactant and to the irreversible character of the ion‐exchange process of the ammonium cation of the surfactant with the Li cation. The considerable dispersion that occurred in the poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid) zinc salt (PEMA–Zn)/Cloisite 20A (20A) NCs was attributed to the high volume of the surfactant, which reduced undesired interactions between the inorganic clay surface and the ionomer. The ductile nature of the matrix remained in all of the NCs, and the increase in the modulus of elasticity of the PEMA–Zn/20A NCs reached a value five times greater than that of the PEMA–Zn matrix. The results suggest that this ionomer is suitable for use both as a matrix for 20A NCs and as a compatibilizer of polyolefin‐based NCs with 20A. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Effects of the processing temperature on the nanostructure and mechanical properties of PCTG‐based nanocomposites

The influence of the processing temperature on both the dispersion level and the mechanical properties of the amorphous copolyester (PCTG)/organoclay (Cloisite® 20A) nanocomposite (NC) is studied in this article. At high processing temperatures, no change in the chemical nature of the matrix was observed, but its molecular weight decreased. Widely dispersed structures were observed by wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy whatever the processing temperature might be. Dispersion was greatest for the samples processed at 200°C due to the highest viscosity of these samples and decreased at higher processing temperatures (T_p). These different dispersion levels led to a large modulus increase (71%) after processing at 200°C and to lower ones (about 50%) after processing at 230 and 260°C. The ductility of the NCs decreased at lower processing temperatures. The decrease was attributed to the greater stiffness of the matrix, and was not significant enough to modify the ductile nature of the NCs, which showed clear yield points even at the lowest processing temperature (200°C). © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Dynamic Stability Improvement of Decentralized Wind Farms by Effective Distribution Static Compensator

Dynamic instability of decentralized wind energy farms is a major issue to deliver continuous green energy to electricity consumers. This instability is caused by variations of voltage and frequency parameters due to intermittencies in wind power. Previously, droop control and inverter-based schemes have been proposed to regulate the voltage by balancing reactive power, while inertial control, digital mapping technique of proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller and efficiency control strategy have been developed to regulate the frequency. In this paper, voltage stability is improved by a new joint strategy of distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) six-pulse controller based reactive power management among decentralized wind turbines and controlled charging of capacitor bank. The frequency stability is ensured by a joint coordinated utilization of capacitor bank and distributed wind power turbines dispatching through a new DSTATCOM six-pulse controller scheme. In both strategies, power grid is contributed as a backup source with less priority. These new joint strategies for voltage and frequency stabilities will enhance the stable active power delivery to end users. A system test case is developed to verify the proposed joint strategies. The test results of the proposed new schemes are proved to be effective in terms of stability improvement of voltage, frequency and active power generation.     

Structure and mechanical properties of new hybrid composites based on polyamide 6,6 reinforced with both glass fibers and a semiaromatic liquid crystalline polyester

Polyamide 6,6 (PA66) composites with 30% glass fiber (GF) were blended with a semiaromatic liquid crystalline copolyester (Rodrun 5000 (R5)) up to 40% R5 by injection molding. The composites showed two amorphous phases. Interchange reactions took place between the two polymers, leading to good interfacial adhesion. The addition of 20% R5 was enough to counteract the viscosity increase provided by the GF. The synergistic increases in the modulus of elasticity were attributed to the increase in the skin thickness at increasing R5 content. The tensile strength of the composites remained constant on LCP addition, despite the lower tensile strength of R5 compared with that of PA66/GF. The notched impact strength increased notably at increasing R5 content. Polym. Compos. 25:601–608, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Processability,Structure and Mechanical Properties of Poly(ether imide)/Amorphous Copolyester Blends

Blends of PEI with an amorphous copolyester (PCTG) were obtained by melt‐mixing followed by injection molding. The processability of PEI increased several times upon addition of just 10% PCTG, thus expanding the applications of PEI. All the blends showed a single T_g and most of them were transparent. However, they were biphasic as suggested by the widening of the T_g's and proved by SEM. A fine dispersed particle size and good adhesion level were also observed by SEM. The values of the modulus of elasticity and the yield stress appeared close the additivity rule, and were attributed to the combined effects of the density increase and orientation decrease in the blends. These morphological changes had a slightly negative influence on ductility which was nevertheless high.

     

Influence of end-group modification on interaction of amphiphilic poly(oxyethylene)-<Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis>-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymers with ionic surfactants

Amphiphilic poly(oxyethylene)-b-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymers having hydrophilic block end-capped with neutral dimethylamino (DE₇₉B₃₄) and cationic trimethyl ammonium (TE₇₉B₃₄) groups, respectively were investigated for their interactions with ionic surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) using tensiometry, conductometry and dynamic light scattering. The self-assembly of DE₇₉B₃₄ and TE₇₉B₃₄ occur at 0.7 g/dm³ and 0.8 g/dm³, respectively. TE₇₉B₃₄ binds favorably with oppositely charged SDS, causing a substantial change in surface tension compared to other surfactant-polymer systems. In mixed polymer-surfactant systems, the micellization was promoted in the presence of SDS, but it was suppressed with CTAB. Such behavior is expected for cationic block copolymers, since they can engage into ion-pair formation with anionic SDS. For neutral polymers, the behavior is reflective of surfactants’ head group hydrophobicity. The head groups of CTAB are more hydrophobic and their existence in the proximity of hydrophobic segments of polymers induces shape transition to non-spherical morphologies. Gibb’s free energy of adsorption at air – water interface is negative for SDS, CTAB and surfactant-block copolymer systems, indicating that the process is highly spontaneous. The increase in entropy of TE₇₉B₃₄ during micelle formation with temperature is due to disturbance of hydrophobic structure of water molecules, thus hydrophobic parts are removed from bulk solution to the interface and also in the interior of micelle the freedom of hydrophobic part is increased. The dynamic laser light scattering results revealed that due to presence of block copolymers pre-micellar aggregates were favored.     

Structural properties of boron carbide nanoparticles: Application of a new set of Stillinger–Weber parameters

A suitable Stillinger–Weber (SW) potential energy function parameter set is developed for finite boron structures by genetic algorithm and trial error techniques. Boron structure geometries in 7–24 atoms range, calculated by ab initio methods, are taken as the fitting criteria in the parameter set development. This parameter set is used together with another SW parameter set developed for carbon–carbon interactions in order to investigate boron carbide nanoparticles in the form of B_xC_x where 8 ? x ? 14. In addition, B₈₀C₁₂ nanoparticle structure is investigated using local optimization technique.